If you were among the patriotic Australians sitting up in the wee hours to watch Takeover Target in the Group I July Cup at Newmarket you would no doubt have seen a magnificent dark brown entire striking a pose.
That was Iffraaj (GB) and he ran right up to his looks when beaten a head by an in form Les Arcs with Takeover Target back in seventh.
Bred by Darley Stud, Iffraaj began his racing career under the tutelage of Michael Jarvis for Sheikh Mohammed's younger brother Sheikh Ahmed.
At two he finished third at Sandown before breaking his maiden at Warwick.
His 3yo season was restricted to just one start due to leg problems.
A four he reeled off three consecutive wins including the Wokingham Handicap at the Royal Ascot.
He then failed in his first attempt at the July Cup due to the heavy ground.
A month later he claimed the Group II Park Stakes at Doncaster before striking soft ground again when unplaced in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp at his 4yo finale.
Transferred to Saeed bin Suroor at five, Iffraaj carried the Godolphin blue into seventh behind Les Arcs, with Takeover Target third, in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot, before his narrow defeat in the July Cup.
He raced only twice more, winning the Group II Lennox Stakes at Goodwood before defending his title in the Park Stakes.
A brother to Group III winner Kareymah and a half-brother to Group III winner Farraaj who placed in a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and a Mackinnon Stakes, Iffraaj is out of the Nureyev mare Pastorale a half-sister to Cape Cross.
His sire, Zafonic shuttled to Australia in 2002 but he had been in the country for little more than a month, covering four mares before he ran into a fence and broke his neck.
Iffraaj shuttled to Haunui Farm in New Zealand in 2008 where he had the champion 3-year-old filly Fix and other stakes winners So Wotif Twilight Granita Iffwedance, and Kisses in his first southern hemisphere crop.
His first European crop contained the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Wootton Bassett.
The first southern hemisphere Group I winner for Iffraaj came in his third crop, the New Zealand 2000 Guineas, Futurity Stakes and Emirates Stakes winner Turn Me Loose.
Two years later Iffraaj produced Gingernuts and Jon Snow who have an excellent chance of running 1-2 Saturday's $2 million Group I BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick.
Gingernuts consigned Jon Snow into third place in the Group I NZ Derby before crossing the Tasman for a dominant win in the Group I Rosehill Guineas.
Jon Snow improved on his NZ Derby third to defeat the Victorian Derby winner Prized Icon in the Group II Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill.
Gingernuts was plucked out of the 2015 NZB Ready To Run Sale by Te Akau Racing's David Ellis for $42,500.
He is the fourth foal of the 5-time Sydney winner Double Elle a daughter of the Derby winner Generous.
Stakes winner have been in short supply in recent year from this family that traced back to NZ Oaks winner Devante (Sobig).
By contrast, Jon Snow's pedigree drips with black type winners, although he could not make the main sale at Karaka in 2015.
Consigned to the Select Sale, Jon Snow was knocked down for $65,000.
He is the first foal of the winning O'Reilly mare Orinda a half-sister to Chris Waller's iron horse Mr Ubiquitous (Tale Of The Cat) a 4-time stakes winner out of the Zabeel mare Zahra a three-quarter sister to Group I Sydney Cup winner Gallic half-sister to Group III Stan Fox Stakes winner Greig and Listed winner Lady Solvil the dam of dual Listed stakes winner Lady Of The Desert.
The third dam of Jon Snow is the triple Group I winner Solveig (Imposing).
